Politics and Prose

It’s probably a safe assumption that the past two years have been an extremely profitable time for venders of political merchandise. Now the stream of books, T-shirts, and buttons has engulfed D.C., making the city a reservoir of Obama-related stuff. (A font to the observant, a cesspool to the non.) Underneath the purple awnings of the book store Politics and Prose, the windows were barely large enough to contain it all—overflow was heaped onto tables inside. There were books about Obama (“A Long Time Coming”; “Change for America: A Progressive Blueprint for the 44th President”), books by Obama (the omnipresent “Audacity of Hope” and “Dreams from My Father”), books for future Obamas (“Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope,” “Goodnight Bush”), books about Michelle (“Go Tell Michelle”), posters featuring newspapers from the day after the election, bags constructed from that day’s Washington Post (cost: $75), homemade buttons of Obama’s face surrounded by Easter-colored ribbons, Obama’s head on the end of a wooden wand, and Obama calendars, bookmarks, finger puppets, mugs, puzzles, paper dolls, plastic dolls, T-shirts, sweatshirts, rulers, and scarves.

I asked Lars, at the information desk, about McCain paraphernalia. “We have Sarah Palin paper dolls!” he exclaimed. On further examination, though, they did not. During the course of the election, he explained, they sold only four red-state mugs, whereas they couldn’t keep the Obama stuff on the shelf. And where could I find McCain merch now? Downstairs, where they keep the bargain items. Indeed, there he was, among the 365-day cat calendars, cookbooks, and a biography of Hillary Clinton. I bought John and Cindy McCain paper dolls—at fifty-per-cent off, they were a steal.